Various closure arrangements for medication containers are known in the art. Medication container closures have been adapted, e.g., to be pierced by a hypodermic needle or ruptured by a sharp spike.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,921 describes a closure arrangement for pharmaceutical bottles containing a stopper closing the bottle mouth and a closure cap mounted over the bottle mouth. The stopper is adapted to be pierced with a hollow needle. The closure cap is provided with a tear-off disc which is above the stopper and is removable upon opening the closure. The tear-off disc is produced from plastic material in one piece with the closure cap and is retained by means of a weakening line. When the closure cap is pressed in the direction toward the bottle, the tear-off disc is separated from the closure cap and the stopper is free for insertion of a hollow needle. However, this arrangement is not adapted for use with a luer fitting.
In order to avoid problems associated with the handling of sharp needles and spikes, medication containers have been provided with stoppers which can be ruptured by the luer fitting or nozzle of a conventional hypodermic syringe. After the nozzle penetrates the stopper in the medication container, medication can be loaded into the syringe. Thereafter, the syringe can be connected to a safe hypodermic needle or a safe intermittent cap for direct intravenous injections. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,812 describes a medication container stopper which can be punctured by the luer nozzle of a hypodermic syringe. However, a significant problem with rupturable containers of this type, regardless of whether they are designed for use with spikes or luer fittings, is that particulates generated by the rupturing process are directed into the container, often providing a source of unacceptable contamination.
It would be desirable to provide a closure management for a medication container which reduces the risk of particulate contamination, and which is easily manipulated by the user.